Force cup for cleaning drainpipes and the like



June 14, 1949. E. L. sco'r'r 2,473,452

FORCE CUP FOR CLEANING DRAIN PIPES AND THE LIKE Filed May 2, 1945 M /6 Zmventor (Itfornegs Patented June 14, 1949 @FFICE FORGE CUP FOR CLEANING DRAINI'IPES THE LIKE Eben L. Scott, Mission, Kans.

Applic'ation-May 2, 1945, SeriaPNo. 591,455

Claims. 1.

This.- invention relates: to" a pipe cleaning device and more. particularly to a force: cup for clearing the drain pipes of sinks, laboratories, toilet bowls; and the" like of obstructions. The most common device of this character is a rubb'er force or vacuum cup that is placed over the inlet of 'the dr'ain and manipulated: by a handle toproduce alternate pressure and suction forces on the obstruction. An associated expedient is to push a flexible cable through the drain openi'n'gtopenetrate the obstruction sothat flow may bestarted tlierethrough-v when the force cup" is used. However, neither device in itself is comcompletely successful for the reason that it must be operated separately.

I-tis, therefore; a principal object ofthepresent invention to provide a pipe cleaning device embo'dying a combination force cup and" flexible eableso'that they may be operated simultaneousl'y or thecable actuated whilethe cupis holding a: pressure or vacuum in the pipe.

Other objects" of the invention areto provide a device of this character that is of simple, inexpensive construction, easily operated, and which will eifectively'cleardrain traps, pipes and the likeof various accumulations tending to block flow therethrough.

It is also an object of'the invention to provide the cup with a reinforcing member.

In accomplishing these. and other. objects of the invention, I have provided improved structure, the preferred form of which is? illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is aside view ofa pipe cleaning device embodying the features of the present invention, parts of which are shown in section to better illustratethe construction thereof.

Fig; 2 is a crosssection through the handle particularly illustrating thepassageway therethrough for the flexible cable or tape.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the central portion of the cup showing the' pass'ageway for the tape and the flexible lips for sealing thepassageway" and f or cleaning and drying' the tape when thetape" is retracted from a drain: pipe after use:

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view'of the cup showing one of the latches for retaining the cup within the reinforcing member.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cup reinforcing member.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

l designates a pipe cleaning device embodying the features of the present invention and which includes a substantially hemispherical force and suction: cup 2: formed of resilient material such as rubber and having a rim 3" adapted for sealing contact circumferentially of a drain opening. Thecup also has a socket 4 projecting from the convex. sideto receive the end 5 of a rod-like handle: 6: substantially in the manner of a conventional: pressure and suction cup.

In' order to reinforce the cup, it is preferably enclosed: within a cage-like member 1 including a split band; 8' encircling the socket portion of the cup and having ears 9: and lil at the ends thereof to pass a fastening device such as a bolt H to draw" the": ears together and contract the band about the socket to assure-anchorage of the cup on the: handle The clamping band 8' has outwardly and downwardly extending fingers 12 formed of resilient material and which are connected at theends by a band It adapted to be received within an annular groove I' l opening upwardly within the rim 3 in encircling'rela't'ion with the hemispherical portion of the cup.

In order to anchor the band [3" and prevent displacement thereof from the groove, the rim 3 has tab portions I5 registering with the re'- spective fi'ngers and terminating in sleeves [6 arranged transversely with respect to the fingers and having axial openings IT therethrough for passing the hooked end it of latches l9 thatare pivoted on the fingers by fastening devices such as rivets or the like.

In order toa'dapt the device to a cleanout cable, as above described; the handle has a longitudinal passageway'or channel 2 l therethrough extending from the end thereof carrying the cup to terminate at a point spaced from the free end of the handle in a' lateral opening 22 in a side of the handle. Fixed to the handle below the opening is a bracket 23' carrying the shaft 24 mounting. a reel 25 substantially in registry with the opening and on which a cable or tape 26 is wound. To facilitate winding andunwinding of the tape,

the shaft 24 has a crank 2'! fixed to one end thereof.

The channel 2| registers with an opening 28 formed within the axis of the cup. Located on the respective sides of the opening are flexible lips 29 and'30' adapted to. press against the sides of. the tape to seal the. opening and to clean the tape when it is drawn therebetween as later described. The free end of the tape may be provided with a spoon or spear-like element 3| that is suitably connected therewith as best shown in Fi 3.

In order to facilitate manufacture, the channel 2| may be formed by providing the handle in two sections 32 and 33 as shown in Fig. 2, one of which has a groove 34 (Fig. 2) in the facing side thereof. The section 33 need extend only from the cup end of the handle to terminate short of the lateral opening 22. The other section 32 may continue from this point in a rod-like contour to terminate in rounded end 35. The sections are secured together at the cup end by the socket 4 of the cup 2 and the clamp 8 and the opposite end is secured together by suitable fastening devices such as screws 36 projecting through openings at the sides of the groove 34 in the section 33 and into the section 32.

In using the apparatus constructed and assembled as described for cleaning a drain of an obstruction, the spear or cup end of the tape 26 is retracted within the cup 2 as shown in Fig. 1 with the tape wound on the reel 25. The cover of the drain is removed and the rim 3 of the cup placed over the drain opening. The tape 26 may k then be projected through the drain by rotating the reel to pay the tape through the opening 28. Pressure may be simultaneously applied to the cup through the handle to effect alternate collapse and expansion thereof for producing al- L ternate suction and pressure on the obstruction while it is being acted upon by the spear 3| of the tape to expedite disengagement of the obstruction. If desired, the cup may be held in collapsed condition to maintain pressure on the obstruction while it is being probed by the spoon or spear or the pressure may be relieved and a suction effected by allowing the cup to expand while the tape is being used.

It is obvious that the flexible fingers l2 of the reinforcing cage will yield with movement of the cup to permit substantially free action thereof while providing suflicient backing to reinforce and prevent rapid wearing out of the cup 2.

In case the cup 2 should become Worn or cracked so that it is not serviceable, the latches l9 are disengaged and the fastening device ll of the band 8 is loosened. The cup and reinforcing cage may then be removed from the handle and the cup withdrawn from the cage, after which a new cup is inserted with the socket portion thereof passing through the band 8 and the groove I4- in the rim thereof seating the band l3. The socket is then re-applied to the handle and the bolt II tightened to contract the band 8. The latches are then re-inserted in the openings of the sleeve portion of the tongues to retain the cup and provide the desired reinforcing thereof.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a pipe cleaning device including a combination pressure and suction cup and cleanout cable so as to more effectively remove obstructions from the drain openings of various plumbing fixtures.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described including, a resilient pressure and suction cup having an opening therethrough, a flexible cleanout member having reciprocable support in said opening of the cup, and sealing means along said opening and having pressing contact with the flexible cleanout member.

2. A device of the character described including, a resilient pressure and suction cup having an opening therethrough, a flexible cleanout member extending through the opening of the cup, a handle for the suction cup, a reel for carrying the flexible cleanout member, and means for mounting the reel on said handle.

3. A device of the character described including, a resilient pressure and suction cup having a socket portion projecting coaxially thereof and having an opening therethrough into the cup, a handle member having one end engaged in the socket portion and having a longitudinal channel registering with said opening at one end and having the other end opening through a side of the handle member, a reel, means for mounting the reel on the handle member adjacent said opening of the channel, and a flexible cleanout member wound on the reel and projectable through the channel and opening of the cup.

4. A device of the character described including a resilient pressure and suction cup having a socket portion projecting coaxially thereof and having an opening therethrough into the cup, a handle member having one end engaged in the socket portion and having a longitudinal channel registering with said opening at one end and having the other end opening through a side of the handl member, a flexible cleanout member extending through the channel and opening of the cup, and sealing means on the cup engageable and engaged with the flexible cleanout member to close said opening when the cup is pressed over a drain opening to effect pressure in said drain opening.

5. A device of the character described including a resilient pressure and suction cup having a, socket portion projecting coaxially thereof and having an opening therethrough into the cup, a handle member having one end engaged in the socket portion and having a longitudinal channel registering with said opening at one end and having the other end opening through a side of the handle member, a reel, means for mounting the reel on the handle member, a flexible cleanout member wound on the reel and projectable through the channel and opening of the cup, and sealing means on the cup engageable with the flexible cleanout member to close said opening.

EBEN L. SCOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 379,091 Annable Mar. 6, 1888 544,908 Clark Aug. 20, 1895 963,060 Noppel July 15, 1910 1,193,476 Block Aug. 1, 1916 1,218,690 Nilson Mar. 13, 1917 1,218,764 Hanlein Mar. 13, 1917' 1,327,768 Lowe Jan. 13, 1920 1,796,340 Nawakowski Mar. 17, 1931 1,900,275 Carter et a1. Mar. 7, 1933 2,035,379 Stewart Mar. 24, 1936 2,176,553 Walz et a1 Oct. 17, 1939 2,187,043 MacMillan Jan. 16, 1940 

